This invention relates to a method for producing pavement, a method for resurfacing pavement, and a pavement and more particularly to pavements consisting of a composite of different materials and to methods for producing and resurfacing the same.
Pavements consist of one or more layers of selected material disposed on a subgrade, which is underlying soil or other geologic structure. A subgrade may be tamped or otherwise treated or may be in its natural state. Overlaying the subgrade, there is generally a base which serves to distribute the stresses from vehicle loads acting on the pavement in order to prevent damage to the subgrade. The base is generally highly stable and dense. Over the base is a surface course of paving material which is directly exposed to vehicle action.
Paving materials, as used for surface courses and bases, may be roughly divided into flexible materials and rigid materials. Rigid materials, used as surface course or base, may demonstrate some flexibility, but are resilient and can bridge small irregularities of a base or subgrade. Flexible materials used as a base or surface course do not have the ability to bridge irregularities and, over time, the flexible material will conform to the shape of the underlying base or subgrade, including the irregularities. There are intermediate types of paving material between flexible and rigid, and beyond a certain size irregularity, rigid pavement will not bridge, but will rather break down resulting in exposure of the irregularity and loss of serviceability of the pavement.
Numerous shortcomings exist in previous pavements and methods of producing and resurfacing pavements. Concrete paving materials provide rigid pavements, but have problems of surface smoothness due to cracking and to joints required to compensate for expansion and contraction. Concrete pavements are also subject to thermal warping and resulting stresses and damage from temperature inequalities within the pavement. Bituminous pavements can be formulated to be flexible and not require joints, however, such pavements suffer from the shortcoming, with usage, of reflecting distortions or displacements of the base. Composite pavements with, for example, a flexible bituminous layer over concrete tend to combine shortcomings of the paving materials used. Composite pavements are generally used for resurfacing as opposed to new pavements, and may require extensive preparation of features such as joints and cracks before a flexible surface course can be placed over worn pavement.
It is therefore highly desirable to provide an improved pavement and improved methods for producing and resurfacing pavement.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved pavement and improved methods for producing and resurfacing pavement in which the flexible surface layers of paving material will not conform over time to irregularities in underlying base layers.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved pavement and improved methods for producing and resurfacing pavement in which surface layers are kept separated from base layers.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved pavement and improved methods for producing and resurfacing pavement in which joints and cracks in worn concrete pavement base layers are not extensively repaired.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved pavement and improved methods for producing and resurfacing pavement in which plates are joined together edge to edge to form a heat conductive bearing member, which is at least substantially continuous in transverse and longitudinal directions.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved pavement and improved methods for producing and resurfacing pavement in which a bearing member can guide a mechanism removing surface layers of paving materials.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved pavement, and improved methods for producing and resurfacing pavement, which combine all of the above desired features.